Earlier this year we sat down for a direct chat with the two top executives at Ultimaker to find out what they’re up to.
Kerry Stevenson
Kerry Stevenson, aka "General Fabb" has written over 8,000 stories on 3D printing at Fabbaloo since he launched the venture in 2007, with an intention to promote and grow the incredible technology of 3D printing across the world. So far, it seems to be working!
Push Vs. Pull 3D Printer Marketing
BEEVERYCREATIVE posted a tale of how their 3D printer is being used, and it illustrates a change in how 3D printers are marketed.
Ultimaker Partners With The University of Illinois and Coursera, Filling A Big 3D Gap
Ultimaker, the University of Illinois and Coursera announced a partnership in which Ultimaker will assist the development of a series of online courses on 3D printing.
US Congress To Examine 3D Printing Advances
A special hearing will be held this month at the US government to highlight recent innovations in 3D printing technologies.
Unique Method of 3D Printing Bone Joints
Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada have developed a method of 3D printing custom, bio-absorbable bone joints.
MakerBot Reacts To Thingiverse Controversy
Today MakerBot issued a statement regarding their position on the ridiculous actions by 3D print service company Just 3D Print.
We Have A New Contributor: Rachel Park!
I am very pleased to announce that longtime 3D print writer Rachel Park will now be contributing stories to Fabbaloo.
The REVOCaster Is Now Live
Back in 2014 I wrote on the REVOcaster, a rotational casting device that could complement any 3D printer operation. Now it’s available for order.
Interest In 3D Printing Has Flattened – Literally
Over the past year or so, a number of 3D print-related companies have stumbled, and it could be due to a flattening of interest in the technology.
A Chat With Ultimaker’s Leaders, Part 1
Earlier this year we sat down for a direct chat with the two top executives at Ultimaker to find out what they’re up to.
The 3D Nefertiti Hack
A clandestine group has secretly 3D scanned the famous Nefertiti sculpture at the Neues Museum in Berlin – and released the scan publicly!
Ultrafast 3D Printed SuperCapacitors Produced: Could Change Many Things
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz have developed a method of 3D printing graphene electrodes that could revolutionize the way we power mobile devices.
US Army Testing Mission-Specific Custom 3D Printed Drones
The US Army is conducting a test to investigate whether it is feasible to design and 3D print highly specific drone designs for specific missions.
Design of the Week: Ötzi
This week’s selection is the incredible 3D printed reproduction of Ötzi, by Materialise, DNALC and artist Gary Staab.
Stratasys Attempts A Breakthrough In 3D Printed Fashion
Stratasys announced a fascinating set of 3D printed dresses that use unique methods that could attract more designers to their services.
Sculpteo’s 3D Printing Survey Confirms Suspicions
3D print service Sculpteo recently undertook a survey of their members to gauge feelings on various topics. The results are quite interesting.
Mattel’s Step Into 3D Printing: Is This A Good Thing?
Mattel (and Autodesk) announced the “Thingmaker”, a 3D printer for kids. But will it succeed? We’re not so sure.
Have You Ever Tried Casting Silicone With 3D Printed Molds?
A great video by industrial designer Eric Strebel shows the technique required to successfully cast silicone with 3D printed molds.
What Would A FrankenFilament Be Like?
Just as there are many desktop 3D printers, there are as many different kinds of filament for them. But what might an ideal filament be?
CoLiDo’s Surprisingly Diverse Line Of 3D Printers
Recently we managed to get a close look at 3D printers made by CoLiDo; they seem to cover all the bases.
Stratasys Makes A “Large” Move
Industry giant Stratasys has invested in Massivit 3D, and we think this is an interesting strategic move and it’s not surprising given the numerous entanglements between the companies.
Body-Temperature Polymer Could Provoke Some Very Interesting 3D Prints
A new polymer developed by a team from the University of Rochester has an interesting property: it changes shape when triggered by body temperature alone.
3D Printed Flatware: Another Big Market For Metal 3D Printing?
We’re checking out one of 3D artist Francis Bitonti’s latest ventures: Setae Flatware, and realized there might be a lot more to this.
Microsoft Updates 3D Builder App For Windows 10
Did you know Microsoft produces a 3D modeling app? They’ve just updated it, too.
It’s No Longer Possible To Launch A Printable 3D Model Sharing Site
Based on how the 3D print industry has evolved, it is now our opinion that it’s next to impossible to successfully launch a 3D model sharing site.
The Solid Vibration 3D Printing Project
Studio van Broekhoven in Eindhoven has developed a fascinating and simple technique to incorporate sound into 3D prints.
CARP 3D Hopes To Launch A Cheap, Yet Powerful Desktop 3D Printer
We could soon see the arrival of a potentially powerful desktop 3D printer that doesn’t cost a lot, if CARP 3D is able to their new machine.
We’re Looking A Bit Different Here Today
Dear readers, we’ve performed some surgery on our blog this weekend to clean things up and implement some new features.
Another Mini 3D Printer Option: The B-Creative 3D Printer
A new crowdfunding campaign has launched another small-sized 3D printer for you to consider.
EXCLUSIVE: Hands On With 3Dwox’s Replaceable Filament Cartridge
We recently tested the amazing 3Dwox 3D DP200 desktop 3D printer from Sindoh, but now we’ve tested their less-expensive replaceable filament.
Solidworks Developing “Apps For Kids”
Solidworks is perhaps the best known 3D modeling system for industry, but now they’re introducing 3D tools for kids.
Design of the Week: Wonkey Chest of Drawers
This week’s selection is the funky “Wonkey Chest of Drawers” by YouMagine contributor francfalco.
The Tactile Picture Books Project Helps Visually Impaired Children
A project at the University of Colorado Boulder has developed techniques for producing “tactile books” for visually impaired children.
The Case For Adding Injection Molding Capability
Readers of this blog are by definition interested in 3D printing, but there are other ways to manufacture objects. One of them worth considering is injection molding.
UPDATE: MakerBot’s Astonishing Smart Extruder+ Endurance Test
We received some questions about our interview with MakerBot chief Jonathan Jaglom’s statement on Smart Extruder+ testing. We found answers today.
New Porcelain Resin Suggests An Explosion Of Unique Materials?
We’re looking at Tethon3D’s new ceramic porcelain 3D printer resin, and suspect this may be only the beginning.
The Story Of Titan Robotics
There are very few ultra-large scale 3D printer for sale today, but one option comes from a small company in Colorado: Titan Robotics.
Media Coverage Of 3D Printing Still Problematic
We’re reading a very curious post on WT VOX that proposes a list of the “top 10 cheap 3D printers you can buy in 2016”, except it seems terribly wrong.
Loose Spools Of Filament: Just Don’t
Recently we attempted to use a loose spool of filament in the lab, but quickly found major problems and suggest vendors adjust their filament packaging methods.
One on One With MakerBot’s Jonathan Jaglom: Part 2
We caught up with MakerBot CEO Jonathan Jaglom recently and discussed the state of affairs at MakerBot, perhaps the most well-known desktop 3D printer company.
Hands On With 3D-Fuel’s Strong PLA and Algae Filaments. What?
We’re testing several new filaments in the lab lately, and one set comes from 3D-Fuel, who provide a very strange algae-based filament.
One on One With MakerBot’s Jonathan Jaglom: Part 1
We caught up with MakerBot CEO Jonathan Jaglom recently and discussed the state of affairs at MakerBot, perhaps the most well-known desktop 3D printer company.
Does Autodesk’s Recent Layoffs Portend Problems For 3D Printing?
3D software giant Autodesk suddenly announced layoffs for approximately 10% of their staff. Does this imply there’s troubles ahead for 3D printing?
Safety Concerns Rising For Desktop 3D Printers
There’s some good news, we believe: an increasing number of 3D printer manufacturers are now taking safety issues much more seriously.
Instructions For Building A Concrete 3D Printer: But Would You Really Want To?
We’re reading an interesting Instructable, which provides detailed instructions on how to build an actual, working concrete 3D printer. But we think this is definitely not for everyone.
The Cost Benefit Analysis Of Casual 3D Printing
If you happen to have access to 3D printing capability, is it worthwhile to print a given item?
The DWS XFAB 3D Printer
We took a closer look at DWS’s awesome XFAB resin 3D printer.
Is 3D Systems Really On “Life Support”?
We’re reading a piece in TheStreet that describes 3D Systems as a “company on life support”. We’re not in agreement with this notion.
Could the iPhone 7 Become an Effective 3D Scanner?
Rumors suggest that the upcoming iPhone 7 may include a feature that could enable it to be a 3D scanner.
MakerBot Gets A Huge Sales Boost
Stratasys announced a long-awaited cross-selling arrangement between its desktop and industrial lines, setting the stage for a potentially large boost in sales.
MarkForged Releases The Mark Two 3D Printer
We first saw the MarkForged desktop 3D printer in San Diego 2014, where it surprised everyone with its ability to print carbon fiber. Two years later they’ve released the Mark Two.
A Winning 3D Print Workflow Story
Readers may recall Fabbaloo held a contest with Stratasys in late 2015 to select a notable story of how 3D printing improved someone’s workflow. Now we have that story for you.
XYZprinting Capitalizes On Cubify’s Demise
Taiwan-based XYZprinting’s new special offer is designed to pick up markets where Cubify left so abruptly.
Stratasys Integrates With Adobe To Enable Easier Color 3D Printing
One of the questions we pondered when Stratasys announced their Connex3 color 3D printer line was, “exactly how does one easily create color 3D models?” Now that question seems to be answered.
Design of the Week: Bird Feeder
This week’s selection is the practical bird feeder from the Printed Nest project.
Flashforge’s Entry Level Finder 3D Printer
We had a look at Flashforge’s Finder 3D printer, which is designed for introductory 3D printing.
New Data On 3D Printer Emissions: Good Or Bad News?
Researchers from several institutions have performed more extensive testing on particulate emissions from commonly available 3D printers, and the results should be known by all 3D printer owners.
3D Printer On Space Station Shelved?
It appears the 3D printer on the International Space Station is no longer in use.
Airwolf 3D’s New AXIOM 2 Desktop 3D Printer
Airwolf 3D has improved their product line with the release of the AXIOM 2.
ARCAM Expands: Validating The Increasing Interest In Metal 3D Printing?
A press release from ARCAM seeks to hire a number of different roles. What does this mean?
Simplicity Wins: i.Materialise Introduces Flat Rate Shipping
Popular 3D print service i.materialise has thrown out their complex shipping calculations and replaced it with a ridiculously simple flat rate.
The Objet500 Connex1 3D Printer
Objet’s triple-jetting technology lets the Connex1 3D production system combine as many as three base resins in a single build without assembly or post-processing.
3DKreator’s Kreator Motion Desktop 3D Printer
The manufacturer of a new 3D printer from Poland hopes to expand sales worldwide.
Robox Focuses On New Materials
CEL Robox makes a very decent desktop 3D printer, but we asked them what they’ve been up to. The answer: materials!
New Technique Could Dramatically Strengthen Resin-Based 3D Printing
Researchers at the University of Bristol’s Faculty of Engineering have developed a new technique for strengthening 3D printed resin.
The Roboze One+400 Desktop 3D Printer Has No Belts!
We’re checking out a new desktop 3D printer, the Roboze One+400, which claims to use no belts within its motion system.
A Visual Ultimaker Troubleshooting Guide
Have an Ultimaker? Have problems printing? There’s a guide for that.
GE Joins 3MF Consortium; Let’s Declare This Competition Over
The 3MF Consortium announced a new member: GE Global Research. With this addition, it’s time to consider 3MF as the winning standard.
Need To Upgrade Your Replicator 2? Here’s One Interesting Option
A third party upgrade could bring new life and abilities to the many Replicator 2’s across the globe.
Kwambio Launches (Again?)
We received a note from Kwambio who apparently have launched a new 3D model/print service.
Stratasys’ Stock Price Dips Below Record Low!
In today’s early trading, 3D printing giant Stratasys saw their stock price dip down as low as USD$15.95 per share, a record low.
EXCLUSIVE: New 3Dwox 3D Printer In The Works
At CES we were taken to a secret side room to see a prototype of a new 3Dwox 3D printer.
An Update From Aleph Objects, Makers of Those LulzBots
We had a chance to sit down with the folks from Aleph Objects, producers of the very popular line of LulzBot TAZ 3D printers to find out the latest.
MeshMixer 3.0 Enables Multi-Material 3D Printing
Autodesk’s 123D team has released version 3.0 of MeshMixer, their free – and amazing – 3D modeling utility. This time, it’s all about multiple materials.
The New ZYYX+ 3D Printer Emphasizes Practical Operations
Magicfirm announced a new 3D printer model, the ZYYX+, which seems to focus on new features that you will definitely appreciate.
The Several Selling Options For 3D Print Artists
If you’re a new 3D print artist, how should you go about distributing your works? We found several alternative strategies.
Is Leasing Appropriate To Acquire 3D Printers For Education?
There are generally two methods of procuring equipment: buying or leasing. Which one is best for schools?
Design of the Week: Shopping Bag Handle
This week’s selection is the highly practical and possibly finger-saving Shopping Bag Handle by cgtrader contributor Even Erichsen.
Could Lousy Filament Be Condemning Many 3D Printers To The Scrap Heap?
There is a dark secret of desktop 3D printing: many 3D printers are no longer in use. We have a thought as to why that might be.
Weistek’s MiniToy 3D Printer For Kids
After questioning whether 3D printers should be made for children the other, we see Weistek releasing a 3D printer specifically designed for kids!
Stratasys Aims to Build on Success with Latest Production 3D Printer
Last year, 3D printing experts signaled an increase in their business for end-part production. Now, they are sharing more direct-manufacturing customer success stories at the recently held Formnext conference and exhibition.
3D Systems Stock Hits A Low
Yesterday the stock price of 3D Systems hit an all time low of USD$6.01. Is it time to worry?
Will HP’s New MJF 3D Printing Venture Succeed?
We’re reading an interesting post from Jeff Rowe at MCADCafe where he speculates on the future of HP’s 3D printing venture. We agree with many of this points.
Nano-Level Electro-Chemical 3D Printing Demonstrated
A new microscopic 3D printing process has been developed by Swiss company Cytosurge, and it can print metal!
RepRapPro Closes
A notable supplier of parts and plans for RepRap desktop 3D printers has closed, according to an announcement on RepRapPro’s site.
Fuel3D’s Journey To A New 3D Space
We chatted recently with Fuel3D CMO Philip Newman and learned the company has taken some big steps, and they’re not in 3D printing.
Source3’s Fascinating 3D Content Management System
We’ve been watching Source3 for a while now, and it’s been a bit of a mystery, but now we seem to have figured out what they’re actually doing and it’s pretty amazing.
Polaroid’s New 3D Printer Faces Daunting Challenges
As we described previously, Polaroid launched a new desktop 3D printer. After some thought, we believe it will face significant challenges going forward.
An Update On The Peachy 3D Printer
The Peachy was billed as the first sub-USD$100 3D printer – in 2013! Tt still hasn’t shipped, but it may do so very soon.
Design of the Week: Manhattan Pegboard Collection
This week’s selection is the highly practical “Manhattan Pegboard Collection” by “Matt Manhattan”.
NewPro3D’s Speedy ILI 3D Printing Technology
Vancouver-based NewPro3D has developed a new process for resin 3D printing that seems quite fast.
Cubify’s Demise Could Set Precedents For Desktop 3D Printing
A few short weeks ago, 3D Systems announced the closure of their consumer 3D printing venture, Cubify. Afterwards, we think there may be significant effects on the market.
The Stunning Markup On 3D Printer Resin
We had a chat with a major manufacturer of 3D printer resin and discovered the stunning level of price markup made by many vendors.
Polaroid Introduces Desktop 3D Printer, With An Expensive Surprise
At CES we examined the new Polaroid desktop 3D printer, and found a very surprising element.
Tiertime’s New UP mini 2 Desktop 3D Printer
One of the more popular desktop 3D printers brands has been UP, from Tiertime. Now they’ve announced their best desktop unit ever, the UP mini 2.